GZA wrote a piece for Medium titled "The Lost Art of Lyricism," where he discusses the lack of creativity in today's rappers.

Like many other artists and hip-hop connoisseurs, GZA feels like rappers have gotten rather lazy with their rhymes, wasting time on empty lyrics. The Wu-Tang Clan rapper reminisces about a time when MCs competed with one another to have the most cleverly-worded rhymes; when rappers blew you away with their lyrics because the word choice and placement were so dope. GZA reflects on the late 80's, when artists like Big Daddy Kane gave listeners chills with records like "Raw." The Brooklyn native also mentions Rakim and Nas, two rappers who are also well-known for their nasty flow.

As the Wu-Tang Clan member points out, rap music used to have messages, but nowadays, most people rap about the same things: the gangster life, women, and partying.

"They put music out about that and they’re not really about that life," said GZA. "We don’t have songs like 'Self Destruction' or 'We’re All In The Same Gang' anymore. Rappers aren’t grabbing you anymore, it’s not pulling me in. What can I get from talking about my car? It’s irrelevant. It’s not about the art form anymore."

In the end, GZA is just a lover of hip-hop who understands change is inevitable, but wants today's rappers to remember what makes the genre stand out. Read the full piece here.

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